


Thieving Stray Dog

by Accendere



Category: Persona 3, Persona 4, Persona 5, 文豪ストレイドッグス | Bungou Stray Dogs
Genre: Akira isn't part of PT (at the start), PT Leader Akechi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-19
Updated: 2019-08-06
Packaged: 2020-05-14 17:01:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 7,314
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19277608
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Accendere/pseuds/Accendere
Summary: After being convicted of assault, Akira Kurusu is sent to Tokyo from Yokohama for his probation with Arsene being his only trusty companion, being temporarily relieved from his duties as part of the Armed Detective Agency.Now he had to deal with the craziness which is probably on par with Yokohama's.* Alternate Version of Persona 5: I am thou. Same background story as in the series of Written Fates but with some changes.





	1. Chapter 1

Akira just wants to go back to Yokohama.

He  _needed_ to.

Especially after learning  _that demonic rat_ is on the loose in Japan.

With Yokohama being the number one location with the most number of Ability-users, it's only natural that rat would target that place.

But  _no~_ , Masayoshi Shido just had to get drunk in the middle of the night and tried to rape that poor woman.

He still didn't regret stopping that asshole even if it meant he had to face the consequences.

He also honestly didn't blame that woman for lying, though. Considering the kind of person Shido is, he probably would've gotten rid of her for tarnishing his reputation.

Still, to think that he had gained this much influence in just a short while.

Even Ango-san wasn't able to overturn the court's decision towards the so-called "assault".

Shido was just some no-name politician back then and wasn't even worth competing even with his charisma until two years ago.

It all started with the mental shutdowns.

Akira was 99% positive that he's the mastermind behind it all.

It was not only because he's the one getting the most benefits of it all because it gives him all the more reason to criticize the current goverment and increase his popularity. Most of the people having mental shutdowns and psychotic breakdowns are involved with Shido in some way, either that they are his enemies or pawns who have outlived their usefulness and the ones who aren't involved? Take that subway driver who suffered a psychotic breakdown a few days ago, for example.

Two of the casualties of the subway accident was a diplomat who sided with the goverment and a president of a trading company that is at odds with Shido.

In other words, he's taking down his competitors.

How does he do it? Even Ranpo-san doesn't know.

The possibility that he's using supernatural means or an Ability-user is the most probable theory he's leaning on to.

But, for now..

Akira's stil gotta deal with his situation.


	2. Chapter 2

God, Shujin is such a shitty school.

It was obvious that Principal Blob only took him in so that Shujin's reputation of "rehabilitating delinquents" will be known.

And the rumor mill is just plain ridiculous.

He's not even here for more than a week and the stories are already exaggerated that they could be the plot of some manga or something.

He can thank the exposure of his criminal record for that.

The record is supposed to be faculty-restricted and the teachers weren't allowed to utter a single word about it.

Unless, there was some dick among the faculty.

Primary suspect: Suguru Kamoshida.

He never liked that guy to begin with, and by beginning, he meant the time he requested Ann Takamaki to ride in his car.

Seeing that girl's face and the injuries of the volleyball players.

Ranpo-san isn't even needed in this case.

And everyone is most likely just to afraid to speak up.

He was just about to do something until...

Until Kamoshida's _attempt_.


	3. Chapter 3

_"Good grief, I swear that the rumors are getting exaggerated each day."_ Akira heard Arsene groan.

_"Some of those rumors aren't wrong, though."_

_"You mean the part where you used to be a criminal?"_

_"Yep. But also the part that I bring a weapon with me. Although, it's not a knife."_

Akira stifled a yawned and took out a handkerchief to wipe his glasses.

They aren't real glasses, though. Dazai-san was the one who suggested that he wear them so people wouldn't be intimidated by him.

If you cut the criminal record part,  _nobody_ would've been intimidated by him while in his casual demeanor.

But seriously, none of his classmates would even come near 5 feet within his distance. Other students just avoid him in the hallway but it seemed that most of the third-years and first-years don't even know that he's the transfer student so they don't really mind him, well that's a plus.

Shujin doesn't even compare to his previous school.

In all honesty, Akira had never been to school until he was twelve and his school records were fabricated by Ango-san.

Seifu High School is actually a decent place and because of all the craziness that's been happening all over Yokohama, the people there are pretty much used to it.

He had to admit, he was actually nervous when he first came to school, he didn't know much of the regular customs and he wasn't really used to being around people his age (All of his friends are adults and one of them is two years older than him) until his classmate first reached out to him.

And that classmate was Naomi Tanizaki.

When Naomi introduced him to her friends, they all hit it off.

That was actually the first time Akira had made friends his age.

Once he gained his confidence, he had reached out to stranger who were in need.

He wondered if it was part of his instinct to help people.

As time pass

ed, everyone in school pretty much knew him.

And when the time has come that his record was spread, he had to admit, he was a bit touched.

None of his friends wanted him to leave but the owner of the school was a bit of an asshole.

He actually had personal connections with the principal a long time ago, which is the reason why he chose Seifu High School, but the owner pretty much forced him to be expelled.

"Hey, new kid."

Here comes Professor Social Studies...

"The Greek philosopher Plato divided the human soul into three parts. A soul is composed of appetite, spirit, and what else?"

"Logic." He answered immediately.

Ushimaru nodded his head in approval, "Correct. So you knew that, huh? You look like you were just spacing out over there."

_"I really wasn't paying attention."_

The one who really looks spaced out here is the quarter-American sitting right in front of him. From the look on her face, she looked really worried about something.

It was pretty obvious what she's worried about.

* * *

_"What do we do now, Akira?"_

_"Hmm... Considering that we just saw Sakamoto-san questioning the things we wanted to ask, the outcome will be pretty obvious if no one does a thing about it. Plus, I doubt they wanted to be interrogated by the criminal record delinquent."_

_"True."_

_"Principal Blob is most likely covering up Kamoshida's abuse, which is why he still hasn't been caught. It's probably because of Kamoshida's Olympic status that Kobayakawa is letting him do whatever he wants because he's the one upholding Shujin's reputation despite the harm it causes to its students."_

_"That egghead doesn't even the least bit care about those poor players at all. Speaking of egghead, I still can't believe how he looks like an inbred Eggman."_

Akira had to cover his mouth to resist the laughter threatening to fall from his mouth after Arsene's remark. It's really difficult to handle this matter. Because of his job of being a member of the ADA, he's pretty much warranted to investigate wherever he wants. However, now that he's on probation with very limited actions, one wrong step and it's game over for his school life.

Currently, he's just wandering aimlessly while thinking about a new plan against Kamoshida. Walking and running helps him think, with a bonus of even less students because it's after-school. He probably climbed the second floor for the third time, good thing the hallway is now deserted so he could think quietly now.

Or so he thought...

"Please! Sto—"

The female voice was immediately cut off.

And it came from the PE Faculty Office.

_"Arsene, go."_

The transparent form of his Persona materialized before him. Unlike Demon Snow and Golden Demon who are physical manifestation abilies, Arsene will not be seen by others if his users wills it.

It was very useful back when he was an assassin.

...As well as investigative measures.

The thief phased through the door to see what was going on. Also, the voice seemed rather familiar, he's pretty sure he heard that voice only recently. In less than a few seconds, Arsene's head poked out of the door and Akira is surprised by his reaction, as he ever rarely seen his Persona panic.

Arsene told him in his thoughts and Akira immediately took out his  _phone_.

And kicked the door open.


	4. Chapter 4

_*SNAP*_

"Whoops, my hand slipped."

Akira checked his phone and smiled smugly.

It was a perfect shot.

Akira gazed at the scene before calmly. Honestly, did Kamoshida think that this place is soundproof? Though, he did chose a good time to sexually assault a teenage girl.

It was unfortunate for him that Akira was right outside the office.

Kamoshida stood up and the brunette girl with the ponytail immediately crawled away from said man, greatly wanting to bolt to the open exit but was afraid that Kamoshida might do worse. For now, Akira was just glad that her bottom clothes have yet to be stripped off, although the girl is topless he could see a red mark on her cheek. That bastard probably slapped her. He instantly remembered that this was the girl whom he spoke with earlier, Shiho Suzui.

Akira held his ground when Kamoshida menacingly approached him, completely pissed off. However, the frizzy-haired teen isn't the least bit afraid, because most people he's friends or acquainted with can do worse and downright horrifying glares than that.

"Delete that photo, Kurusu." Akira merely snorted at Kamoshida's threatening tone, even Kyouka-chan can do much better than that. The perverted asshole just looked downright offended and looked ready to beat the crap outta him.

"Don't think you can just use that tone with me, you criminal. I can expel you whenever I want."

Now both coach and volleyball player were confused when Akira just chuckled for a few seconds before his amusement went away soon after.

"Tone? What are you talking about, Kamoshida-sensei? I've barely said anything." He held out his phone by his side, revealing it to be in a social media website and his thumb is just a few inches away from spreading the photo all over the world, "I wonder what people will comment about a former Olympic gold medalist trying to sexually assault a teenage girl who is part of your team... It wouldn't be a good addition to your newfound reputation as a PE instructor."

"So, you will resort to blackmail? As expected of a criminal." Despite his smug face, he could tell Kamoshida is trying to hide his fear from the trembling of his fists.

Akira merely smiled, "Criminal or not, anyone is capable of blackmailing. In fact, you're actually part of that category, if I'm not mistaken."

Well, that broke the smug look on his face.

"Are you calling me a criminal, you trash...?"

"If I spread this photo, everyone online, and soon in real life, would consider you a criminal. So why don't we make a deal? If you stop abusing your players, I won't post this evidence and you can just continue on with your life. However, if I see any new injuries that they will excuse that _it's from practice_ , which I would know because I've memorized who they are, then..." He gave him his signature smirk, "You can kiss your glory goodbye. And don't even think about expelling me when my thumb is so close to ruining your life."

Kamoshida then snapped, _oh_ , how pathetic he looked when his territory is getting threatened, "Who do you think you are, you piece of shit!? I rule this place!! You think garbage like you can tell me what to do!?"

Well, he already expected this would happen.

Akira tilted his upper body sideways and dodged Kamoshida's incoming punch, he could vaguely heard the girl scream in protest. Immediately once the asshole's hand got past him, he grabbed his wrist and effortlessly bended it in the wrong way just before it reached the breaking point, causing Kamoshida to shriek in pain and use his other arm to grab Akira's hand to try and pry it off but couldn't even make the teen budge. Good grief, he's weaker than he thought.

"You skills seem to be getting rusty lately, hasn't it Kamoshida-sensei? Your aim needed some needed practice. After all, you  _accidentally_ spiked Mishima-san right to the face." He said darkly as he looked at the coach straight in the eye. Kamoshida's eyes widened in fear and, despite the darkness of the room, Akira could see his reflection on his fearful eyes and  _whoops_ , he turned his eyes red again.

"I'm close to both ruining your life  _and_ breaking the precious arm that you so needed in your volleyball career. You wouldn't want another condition in our deal, would you?" He threateningly bended the arm further closer to the breaking point until Kamoshida screamed and began to pathetically beg.

"I'll stop! I'll stop beating them up!! I-I won't expel you either!! Please, just let me go!!"

Akira instantly smiled at his response and immediately let go of his arm, "Good!"

Kamoshida practically ran out of his own office to who knows where, not that Akira cared. Arsene looked like he just inhaled some laughing gas and Akira would've joined him if it weren't for the fact that he probably would've looked crazy in front of the poor girl. She has enough on her plate today.

He carefully approached her as to not startle her after a near-traumatic experience which almost transpired had Akira not kicked the door open. He knelt down in front of her as he picked up her discarded sweater, not looking at anywhere below her head.

"You're safe now. He won't hurt you anymore." He placed a comforting hand on her head, stroking her head tenderly. It had become a habit he picked up when he is with Kyouka-chan and Atsushi-san (since the latter is technically a cat).

The girl lifted her head up, her cheeks stained with tears. Akira gave her sweater back and she took it from his hands, smiling gratefully, "T-Thank you so much... You were the transfer student from earlier, right?"

Akira nodded and helped her stand up, her legs still a bit wobbly from shock. He escorted her out of the disgusting office and since there aren't that many students left, they were able to reach the courtyard with no one noticing. The girl sat down on the bench, but still kept her arms wrapped around herself, shivering, but not from the cold.

"You must be Takamaki-san's friend, right? From how you talked about her earlier. Let's call her since she should be able to escort you home."

Suzui nodded shakily with a look of gratitude.

...

...

...

_"Hello? Shiho, what is i-?"_

"Takamaki-san, it's me, Kurusu."

_"Kurusu!? Why do you have Shiho's phone!?"_

"Calm down and listen. Me and Suzui are in the courtyard right now, She really needs your help and I doubt she'll be able to go home on her own."

_"What happened to her!?"_

"In a nutshell, Kamoshida tried to rape her."

She hung up.

* * *

Wow. She came quicker than he expected.

As soon as she came, Takamaki immediately comforted Suzui and embraced her. When she told her what happened, Takamaki looked downright furious that it almost looked like she's going to burn everything. However, soon after that, it turned into complete shock when she heard about the blackmail, turning her head to face her best friend's savior.

Only to find that he's already gone.


	5. Chapter 5

_" **The Left Hand of Darkness**?"_

_"Yeah. They're a criminal organization that made Tokyo their base of operations. I don't know what they're capable of, considering we have very little information about them."_

_"So, they chose to hide in the shadows so whatever they are wouldn't be openly known. Smart move."_

_"The Agency is still recovering from the Guild incident and most of us have a lot on our hands with so many cases lately. Sorry, I know you're on probation but you're the only one who's available."_

_"Don't worry about it, Kunikida-san. So, is it going to be a solo mission?"_

_"No. I'm planning to have Atsushi and Kyouka aid you. While both of them did save Yokohama, they're still new at the Agency and I was hoping that you'd guide them."_

_"Aw... Are you calling me a role model? That's so sweet of you, Kunikida-san~!"_

_"SHUT UP!! Anyway, I'm still going to have to bring this up to the President so they'll probably be in Tokyo in weeks."_

_"Alright. Send me whatever info you have on this organization. Also, tell me one more thing..."_

_"What is it?"_

_"...Who's the client of this case?"_


	6. Chapter 6

This castle is truly disgusting.

_"To think that that is what he thought of the female players..."_

_"Yep. That was fucked up."_

Akechi wholeheartedly agreed with his two Personas. This castle belongs to a man who was a renowned former Olympic gold medalist who is now currently a volleyball coach of Shujin and thought of said school as a castle he ruled and sees his players as nothing but slaves.

It was actually a good thing that he and Ryuji's accidental encounter transpired. Or else he never would've found out about this particular Palace and met Morgana.

Akechi found out about the Metaverse, Personas and Shadows two years ago, when he accidentally stumbled upon his principal's Palace.

And then, he realized, he could help people with this.

He still felt bad about what's he doing, though. He may have helped people by solving cases, he actually cheated by using the Metaverse to find the suspects' Shadow Selves and find out about what they're doing.

But it was all worth it if it meant that he could finally have some purpose in life.

"Whoa!"

"Skull!"

Crow turned around, seeing that Skull had slipped and is left dangling on the edge of the concrete tower. Pushing his current thoughts at the back of his head, he grabbed the faux blonde's hand and helped him up.

"Seriously, you should be more careful, lad." Captain Kidd appeared with his arms crossed, sighing exasperatedly.

Skull sheepishly scratched his head, "Sorry, my bad."

Mona's ears began twitching, "We're close to the Treasure! I can sense it!... Uh..."

"What's wrong, Mona?" Panther asks.

Zorro answered for him, "The Palace's security level is unusually high."

True. While the castle did not change much, all the slaves from the torture chamber disappeared and the Shadows were at high alert.

"Why is that?" Carmen asks.

"It is possible that he may have felt threatened regarding his territory." Mona explained, "Did something happened to him in the real world?"

"I don't think it was because of me questioning his players. I mean, he doesn't even give a shit about me." Skull stated.

Panther placed her finger on her chin while thinking about it. Wait, did she know something...?

"Threatened...? ...OOH! I think it may have something to do with Kurusu-kun blackmailing Kamoshida!"

What?

"Huh, oka—Wait, what!?" Skull was flabbergasted, it's a good thing there weren't any Shadows around, "How did that even happened!?"

"That scumbag actually got blackmailed!?" Kidd had to keep his hearty laugh from bursting out.

Panther uneasily grabbed her arm and her Persona placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, nodding at her and her user did the same gesture before she turned back to her fellow thieves.

"I haven't told you guys about this but... A couple of days ago... Kamoshida tried to rape Shiho..."

"What!?" Skull and Mona exclaimed, prompting Crow to hush them.

Her expression then suddenly became happy, "But luckily, Kurusu-kun saved her and blackmailed Kamoshida with a photo he took just before you know..."

"So that's why he's so cautious right now..." Zorro muttered.

"Also, Shiho told me Kurusu-kun scared the crap out of Kamoshida and nearly broke his arm!"

"For real!? Duuude!" Skull looked even more awed, founding a new-found respect towards the guy he hasn't even met yet.

"That lad sure has some guts!" Kidd praised.

Crow decided to ask the question he had been wanting to say for while, "If you don't mind me asking, who is this Kurusu-kun?"

"Kurusu..." Skull crossed his arms, pondering about the name which sounded familiar until it hit him, "...Wait. Isn't he the guy with the criminal record?"

"Criminal record?" Robin Hood voiced Crow's question.

"Rumor has it that he got convicted for assault. There're all sorts of rumors about him going around, though most of it sounded really crazy like he killed a buncha people before and doing drugs or something." Skull explained.

Crow sweatdropped, "Well, those rumors sounded greatly... exaggerated."

"If that kid really did all those stuff then why is he even going to school now?" Loki questioned.

Panther shook her head, "I don't believe those rumors one bit. I mean, ever since I met him, he looked like he couldn't hurt a fly er..."

Carmen giggled, "That is, until you learned about what he did to that lustful king."

Panther chuckled, "Anyway, I'm really grateful that he saved Shiho _and_ made Kamoshida piss his pants. I can tell that he's a really nice guy!"

Mona looked a bit worried at Panther's continued praise towards this Kurusu person, "L-Lady Ann, could it be that you..."

"What?" Panther then flushed at what the cartoonish cat is implying, "No! It's not like that! I'm just really grateful to him! Also, he isn't like the usual guys that I meet that tend to comment about my appearance. I mean, he didn't even bat an eye on my looks when we first met!"

"Huh..." Mona sounded relieved, looks like Kurusu isn't a competitor.

"What did he do with the photo?" Crow asked, "Did he post it already?"

"Nope." Panther replied, "I asked him about it earlier, he said that he needed to edit it first so that Shiho wouldn't be recognized. He told me that all sorts of rumors would obviously circulate around her if he didn't do that."

Zorro nodded his head in approval, "Looks like he immediately understood Señorita Suzui's situation and the consequences of spreading that photo."

Crow agreed with the swordsman, Kurusu sounded like a really decent person coming from Panther's perspective despite being known with a criminal record.

 _"Perhaps there is more to his story than just being arrested for assault."_ Robin's voice echoed in his mind and Crow held the same opinion.

This person sounded really interesting...

Eventually, they finished their conversation and continued their venture in the deepest parts of the castle.

It wasn't long before they reached the Treasure.


	7. Chapter 7

Shit. He probably shouldn't have slept in midnight.

He was reading the files Kunikida sent him last night and made the mistake of staying up all night reading them.

Thanks to Katai, they were able to dig out more information about the organization they're after than the ones the Agency had.

The Left Hand of Darkness.

Like the Guild, they are a foreign organization that made their way to Japan and, like the Port Mafia, had political connections as well. Apparently, the info Katai gathered revealed that they were allied with The Seventh Agency, a criminal group responsible for cover-ups of political crimes, illegal tactics and hiding scandals. Looks like this wasn't going to be easy as he thought.

There is absolutely no way that Masayoshi Shido is  _not_ involved in this. Considering the fact that the Seventh Agency is mostly responsible for covering up many of his scandals, it is highly possible that he may also be connected to The Left Hand of Darkness.

He should ask Ango for info about the Seventh Agency, considering that he once employed them to erase Dazai's past crimes.

As for the client...

A woman named Ursula Kroeber Le Guin was the one who requested this task. However, she never told the reason for her request.

As for now, he's just glad that he wasn't late.

* * *

**4/27**

Akira didn't managed to see it for himself because class was about to start by he time he arrived.

The calling cards.

No one knows who posted the calling cards in the bulletin board as it was already there before any of the students came. Luckily, someone managed to take a picture of it and post it online before Kamoshida ripped them to shreds.

While walking around the hallway, he took a look at his phone's social media website.

**Sir Suguru Kamoshida, the utter bastard of lust.**

**We know how shitty you are, and that you put your twisted desires on students that can't fight back.**

**That's why we have decided to steal away those desires and make you confess your sins.**

**This will be done tomorrow, so we hope you will be ready. From, The Phantom Thieves of Hearts.**

_"...Wow."_

 _"Whoever wrote this needs to take creative writing lessons."_ Akira agreed with Arsene.

_"Plus, the logo looks like it's been drawn by a kid. Whoever these people are, they probably have something against Kamoshida."_

_"Hmm... If he does confess, it'll be interesting. Why don't we wait and see?"_

_"Indeed. But first, we have something to do, remember?"_

_"Yep."_


	8. Chapter 8

**4/28**

Kamoshida got suspended.

Actually,  _he's_ the one who requested the suspension himself for some reason. Akira only learned this when he eavesdropped on the conversation between his homeroom teahcer and Takamaki, who asked about the absence of Kamoshida.

This meant that their PE classes are substituted by one of their regular teachers and the volleyball players looked especially relieved, though, he knew many of them were wondering why their coach didn't abuse them for the past week.

Suzui began to smile more like people say she used to and began to hang out with her best friend every chance she gets and presumably left the volleyball team, as she isn't participating in practices any more. Both girls also greet Akira whenever they see him, becoming one of the few people in the entire school that aren't afraid of him.

Though, he never expected for another student to be added in that category.

* * *

Akira was eating lunch at the secluded area of the courtyard. This place and the roof were his only haven of peace and quiet since rumors follow him wherever he goes. Hell, the library is full of whispers that even the librarian gave up scolding them when Akira borrowed a book about the outlaw Zorro.

Usually, when alone with nothing to do, he converses with Arsene regarding a new idea of a new book that he's publishing online.

_"How about stabbing?"_

_"Eh, that's too common."_ Arsene told him,  _"Though, unless you could complicate it with the setting or the characters it just might work."_

_"The last mystery book I published was about poisoning. I had to look up a bunch of chemicals online and had to do so many explanations that took 10 pages for it too finish."_

_"It's a good thing you did the explanation of the chemicals or else the readers would've been left in the dark. The popularity of that book actually increased a lot more than last time."_

_"Any more ideas?"_

_"How about a locked-room mystery? Yokomizo-san's been looking forward to your own version, remember?"_

_"If I use that idea, Mushitarou-san would probably kill me."_

"Yo."

Akira nearly spat out his lunch. Good god, if anyone ever heard what he's saying, there's no doubt that he'll be called to the principal's office.

He turned to the person who called out to him, and was genuinely surprised to see the blonde guy whom he witnessed questioning the volleyball players days ago.

Yesterday, Akira had requested Katai to hack some information regarding Kamoshida during his time with Shujin. He usually goes to Katai whenever he needed access to highly-restricted information he couldn't get himself and the futon guy is actually pretty chill about it despite being a nervous wreck when outside.

From him, Akira was able to found out that Kamoshida used to coach the track team, giving them hellish training which mostly involved not giving them any breaks. Sakamoto, who was the rising star of the track team, lashed out at Kamoshida after talking shit about his family and revealing about his abusive father to everyone. However, it ended with Kamoshida breaking Sakamoto's leg which lead the track team to disband and their coach fired. Since then, the volleyball team took the track team's place as Shujin's star sports team, plus Akira heard some rumors about Sakamoto being called the  _Track Traitor_ because of his actions.

It's thanks to Katai's ability that he was able to get information this fast. Even before Akira met him, he never asked how Katai was able to hack research institutes from different countries in just a few short hours.

"Oh, hello. You must be..."

"Ryuji Sakamoto. You've probably heard of me from the rumors, huh?" Said blonde went straight to the vending machine to get a grape juice and just plop himself on the bench besides Akira.

"Yes. Probably the same towards me, eh?"

Ryuji grinned and nodded before opening his can of soda. Akira never believed rumors unless he investigates it for himself. Though Sakamoto acts like the delinquent he is said to be, Akira knew he's a good soul.

"Yep. But rumors are just rumors."

"If I may ask, what brings you here?"

"Nothing much. Been wantin' to meet you for a while now, but never got the chance." He began to chug down his drink.

Sakamoto's been wanting to meet him?

He tossed the can towards the trash bin, "Heard about what you did to Kamoshida from Ann."

Oh...

"And I just wanna say, that was freaking awesome. I wish I could've seen it for myself!"

Akira smiled. Looks like he got a new friend.

Their conversation lasted for a while until the bell rang. It was mostly about the blackmail Akira did and that must have piqued Sakamoto's interest in him, besides the criminal record.

"What happened to the photo you took, by the way? Did'ja post it?"

Akira shook his head, "Not yet. I've been waiting for the right time and just decided to post it today but held it off when I found out Kamoshida was absent."

"Why?"

"I wanted to humiliate him while he's in school."

"Dude, that is awesome."

"Thanks. You too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to right more of their interactions but I guess I got tired. Sorry.
> 
> Comments are greatly appreciated!  
> ≧∇≦


	9. Chapter 9

Mini Mackerel: CHUUYA SAN

Mini Mackerel: HELP ME PLZZZZ

Petite Mafioso: what now?

Mini Mackerel: TELL ME ABOUT THIS LEFT HAND OF DARKNESS

Mini Mackerel: GOD I SHOULD'VE GONE TO YOU SOONER

Petite Mafioso: so the agency is after them now?

Mini Mackerel: nah

Mini Mackerel: most of us got their hands full and I'm the only one who's in Tokyo right now

Mini Mackerel: Atsushi-san and Kyouka-chan are going to help me though ≧ω≦

Petite Mafioso: I see

Petite Mafioso: to be honest I don't know much about them either

Petite Mafioso: other than they're like the Guild

Petite Mafioso: but I'll try to check if the port mafia has any records about them

Mini Mackerel: thank you ≧∇≦

Petite Mafioso: by the way

Petite Mafioso: I'm coming to Tokyo in a few months

Mini Mackerel: ⊙_⊙ rly!? Why!?

Petite Mafioso: some lowly fuckers calling themselves a mafia has been causing some trouble

Mini Mackerel: what happened while I was gone?

Petite Mafioso: not much really

Petite Mafioso: other than that they've been smuggling drugs here

Petite Mafioso: the boss ordered me to deal with their source

Mini Mackerel: oh shit

Mini Mackerel: Mori-sensei hates those kind of people the most

Mini Mackerel: they just dug themselves a grave

Petite Mafioso: yeah

Petite Mafioso: that was one of the few times I've ever seen him mad

Petite Mafioso: calling them parasites and the like

Petite Mafioso: anyway, how's your probation going?

Mini Mackerel: eventful

Mini Mackerel: I found out that my school's famous volleyball coach is physically abusing his team and sexually harassing the female players. Days ago said coach just attempted to rape my classmate's best friend before I intervened by blackmailing him and nearly snapping his arm in half

Petite Mafioso: huh. Thought it's gonna be like a battle against an Ability-user or something

Mini Mackerel: that's probably gonna happen once I find the left hand of darkness

Mini Mackerel: why left though?

Petite Mafioso: just be glad it isn't as long as the rats in the house of the dead


	10. Chapter 10

**5/2**

"Kurusu-kun, is that a cat in your desk?"

Akira gave an unimpressed raised eyebrow towards the calico cat who's taking residence inside his desk. The cat is tilting his head as if shrugging him to make an excuse.

"...Yes."

"Um, why is it in your desk?"

"..."

 _"Really?"_ Arsene chuckled.

"He likes to follow me around, including school." Akira simply replied.

Now, Takamaki is the one giving him a raised eyebrow.

"So..." Takamaki scooted her seat to the side, making it easier for her to face Akira, "Is it a he or a she? What's their name?"

Good, looks like Takamaki isn't going to rat him out to the teacher. Well, even if she did the cat would just sneak away.

"It's a he." Akira replied with a smile. He's got nothing to worry about with having a cat in his desk for now. Even if a student does find out, it's most likely that they wouldn't have the guts to tell anyone, "His name's Sensei."

Takamaki tilted her head in curiosity at the strange name, "Sensei?"

"He actually belongs to a friend of mine. She named him Mii-chan. But me and my other friend call him Sensei."

"So, why are you calling him Sensei?"

"Well... Doesn't he look wise?" She didn't need to be told about the reason why he calls Sensei that.

Akira wished that Sensei could've given him a warning before he suddenly showed up in the middle of the night through the window in the dark all the while nearly giving him a damn heart attack.

Kawakami showed up in the homeroom, prompting Takamaki to halt her next question before giving Akira a warm smile which sort of reminds him of Gin without her mask.

* * *

_"So, have you decided what kind of killing method you're going to use?"_

_"Stabbing with a knife will be too obvious. The knife would need to be dispose of and the killer would need to use gloves or something to cover their hands to hide their fingerprints."_

_"So, what kind of murder weapon?"_

_"A katana or something..."_

_"Why a katana?"_

_"Felt like it."_

Akira then suddenly heard the almost deafening sound of the speak on the hallway. The ones he heard the next are probably what he assumed someone was poking the microphone for testing.

"I... have been reborn."

It was Kamoshida's voice. He sounded so weak and helpless.

Did these Phantom Thieves succeeded?

Yep, they did.

Kamoshida had confessed all his crimes in the most pathetic way by grovelling on his knees and asking for forgiveness. Akira kept a straight face, but on the inside, he was absolutely delighted at the sight of the perverted bastard that had ruined so many students' lives. If he were still an active member of the Port Mafia, he would have brought Kamoshida to Dazai to make him feel the pain he had caused to the players and students tenfold and Mori wouldn't even question it.

Everyone who were in the Port Mafia long enough to know Akira all knew what kind of people the raven would bring to their torture room. And they all deserved what's coming to them.

_"Oh, well."_

Akira pulled out his phone, ready to post the picture that would probably call social media outrage.

_"Time to increase the humiliation tenfold."_


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no idea when Gin-chan's birthday is so I'm just gonna take a wild guess.

It was Gin's birthday today.

Higuchi was very quick in making the preparations even faster that when she does her  _actual work_. The entirety of the Black Lizard helped her in setting up everything. Strangely, even Chuuya, Kouyou and Akutagawa helped them! The latter seemed the one whose most hellbent in setting this place up as well. She wondered why, though, as her senpai rarely even cares for stuff like this. But she doesn't want to bother him about her curiosity.

Higuchi had finally managed to overcome her shock upon learning that Gin is actually a girl. Tachihara seemed to be the one who's most outspoken about it, as he talked about how she lacked any girly features. This earns him a death glare and a slap to the face from Gin as well as a smack at the head from Hirotsu (being the gentleman he is) for his inappropriate rudeness.

While Kouyou and Elise distracted Gin by going clothes shopping with her, much to her embarrassment, while dragging Chuuya with them (since he's the best bag-lifter of the Port Mafia), the Black Lizard finished the set-ups and all they have to do is wait for them to come back. Higuchi texted Kouyou that they're ready to come back.

After a thirty minutes of waiting, the four returned from shopping (with Chuuya easily lifting so many bags using his ability), Gin was so embarrassed at the set-up that her face was completely red that even her mask couldn't cover it. She still covered her face with her hands when she blew the birthday candle. This caused many of the Black Lizard to internally groan, as they were so curious at what her face actually looks like to the point where a bet has been made (and yes, Higuchi and Tachihara are part of it). Though, she quietly said her thanks and the Black Lizard were completely shocked at the sound of her voice.

The party went on for hours, with the boss joining in as well as the two executives. The Black Lizard, including Akutagawa, were mostly by Gin's side while the boss is persuading Elise to try on new clothes as per usual, Kouyou and Chuuya were drinking wine (Chuuya passed out after a couple of doses, though he's still sitting on his seat with Kouyou, being the Port Mafia's motherly figure, put a blanket on him while he slept through the night).

Something interesting happened when one of their low-ranked members came in holding a small box with elegant wrapping, he called out to Gin and many of the Black Lizard crowded the birthday girl when she received the gift, wondering about the sender.

Tachihara leaned over to Gin's side with his hands in his pockets, "Who's it from?"

Knowing that Gin isn't going to speak, Higuchi took out the letter that arrived alongside the box from the red envelope, careful not to wrinkle it. The contents were written in a very elegant handwriting, whoever wrote this must have done calligraphy.

**Dear, Gin-chan,**

**Hello there, Gin-chan. It's me, Ren! I'm so sorry I wasn't able to come for your birthday but I swear I'll come to your next! I'm in a bit of a complicated situation and I wouldn't be back in Yokohama until next spring (You can ask Chuuya-san about it if you're curious, he wouldn't mind).**

**Anyway, I wish you well, Gin-chan! Good luck with your duties! I hope you like my gift! I love you!**

**Sincerely, Ren Amamiya.**

**P.S.**

**Also, if you don't mind, would you please tell Ryunosuke to PLEASE use the hygiene kit I made for him last month (which I'm pretty sure he still left it untouched in his office). I know he hates baths and is known as the Port Mafia's rabid dog but I CANNOT LET HIM SMELL LIKE ONE!!**

**(Ryunosuke, if you're reading this, use it or else I'll come by to your apartment everyday to make you clean as possible once I come back. And yes, that includes whenever you're done with a mission covered in blood. I didn't bother using chat because I know you'll just ignore my messages.)**

Gin let out a snort which honestly sounded very adorable to everyone in the room and, as most people in the room wondered in chaos about the mysterious sender (especially about the love message) while Akutagawa just sighed tiredly (Looks like he needs to keep watch on his own hygiene), eagerly opened the small box...

...Which contained a beautiful ruby pendant.

Kouyou elegantly approached the female assassin, who was blushing under her mask, though it was more with joy rather than embarrassment.

"Ruby is a symbol of good fortune, pure love, and loyalty, dear." She said.

Gin giggled.

She's going to wear this everyday from now on.

"W-Who is this Amamiya person...?" Higuchi stuttered out most of the Black Lizard's question, still shocked at the love declaration in the letter.

Kouyou and Hirotsu looked at each other for a moment before giving momentary glances at Gin, Chuuya (who was still passed out), Akutagawa (who is most likely debating whether he should use the kit or not) and Mori.

The boss decided to do the honors, "Ren Amamiya, who currently goes by the Akira Kurusu, was the former leader of the Black Lizard and the Port Mafia's best assassin. He was also Chuuya's student, like how Dazai was with Akutagawa."

Widened eyes and slack-jawed mouths were the immediate response and Kouyou expected that. Most of the Black Lizard right now are new recruits that joined after both Dazai and Ren left. Most of the old members are either given a new position in different departments or have died over the years. Very few in the Black Lizard personally knew of Ren as well as Dazai back when they were in the mafia.

The boss liked these kinds of reactions and continued explaining, "Akutagawa was the second-in-command back then until Ren left. Ren is one of the few kind souls of the mafia, very much like Chuuya-kun, and cares for his subordinates. You could say he's Akutagawa and Gin's best friend, since he's the one who helped them get around the mafia when both of them first came here." He cuts the part where Ren also gets mad and always kicks Dazai whenever he sees him 'training' Akutagawa, which caused Dazai to be more lenient on the sickly boy.

"He's also one of the Port Mafia's strongest members. In terms of combat ability, I would rank him just below Chuuya-kun and he's also one of our main strategists and had been part of the intelligence department many times. He was the one who mentored Gin in assassination and was the closest person to Q." Shocked expressions were plastered on their faces.

Higuchi raised her hand, "Does he have an ability?"

Mori nodded, "Indeed. It is similar to Kouyou and Kyouka Izumi's ability. His ability,  **Persona** , allows him to summon the physical manifestation of his personality in the form of mythological beings or fictional characters. There are plenty of Persona-users in Japan, however, most cannot summon them so easily and needed external aid in summoning." Certain people from the Kirijo Group flashes in his mind for a moment, "In Ren's case, he is more similar to Kouyou, and can summon his Persona whenever he wishes to simply by thinking it."

His mind flashed back to the time where he first met Ren. A young child splattered with blood as he simply stares at the bloodied remains of his friends with an expression similar to that of a corpse. The corpse of their tormentor could have been easily mistaken for a simple lump of flesh if it weren't for the still (somehow) intact face of a maniacal scientist who was probably laughing at the sight of his greatest creation during his final moments. Mori highly doubt that the scientist died regretfully, he was most likely completely delighted when he finally created a  _natural_ Persona-user through torture and other forms of abuse instead of injecting him with chemicals that will only shorten his life.

At the very least, he deserved to live a life outside of the Port Mafia.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To those who don't know, the red necklace is part of Gin's (white dress) design.


End file.
